Eighth meeting of the Greater Mekong subregion therapeutic efficacy study network, 28–29 October 2020

Overview
On 28 and 29 October 2019, the WHO Mekong Malaria Elimination (MME) programme hosted the virtual eighth meeting of the Greater Mekong subregion therapeutic efficacy studies network. Representatives from malaria control programmes in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Member States – Cambodia, China, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam – attended the 2-day workshop to monitor progress and review the results of therapeutic efficacy studies (TES) as well as to plan and implement future TES and integrated drug efficacy surveillance (iDES). Focal points from GMS countries as well as technical experts and partners also attended the meeting to review the current TES/iDES status and the efficacy of antimalarial drugs and to identify alternative artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) for revision of national treatment guidelines, as necessary. The main discussion points included: challenges in countries regarding the shift from TES to iDES, drug efficacy updates and the changes in second-line treatments, data from molecular markers, the status of artemisinin resistance in the GMS, and guidelines on quality control.